Southern California -- this just in

Huntington Beach tops California DUI collisions list, new report says

January 31, 2011 | 7:43
am

Huntington Beach had more alcohol-related collisions per capita than any other city in California, according to data recently released by the state Office of Traffic Safety.

The report, which came out earlier this month and covers 2009, ranks Huntington Beach above 55 other cities with populations between 100,000 and 250,000. A total of 195 people were killed or injured in alcohol-related collisions, according to the report.

Huntington Beach has been in the top 10 for per-capita DUI accidents for the last half-decade, ranking sixth in 2005, eighth in 2006, seventh in 2007 and fourth in 2008.

Lt. Russell Reinhart of the Huntington Beach Police Department said the city was aware its DUI accident numbers were high in 2009, but the ranking came as a surprise. "I don't think we knew we were No. 1," he said. "We knew our numbers were high." Huntington Beach police made 1,558 DUI arrests in 2009.